Track sander



Dec. 311, 1946. v E. SIMMONS 2,413,387

` TRACK SANDER Filed April 19, 1944` wml 27 30 '2 l2 I {.'mmhwI WHW AWM" f4 Patented Dec. 31, 194

TRACK SANDER Leon E. Simmons, Claremont, N. H., assigner to Joy Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application April 19, 1944, Serial No. 531,777

l(Cl. 291-28) 6 Claims.

This invention relates to track sanders and more particularly to improvements in track sanders embodying sand feeders of the oscillatory type.

In vehicles of the wheel-mounted type, particularly railway vehicles wherein slippage may ofttimes occur between the track wheels and the rails of the trackway, for instance whenthe trackway is inclined with respect to the horizon- Atal and the wheels tend to loose their traction,

it is necessary to apply sand to the rail treads to increase the friction. In vehicles such as the wheeled trucks of coal mining apparatus, various known devices have been provided for feeding sand to the track rails, but such devices have not been satisfactory, especially when the sand is wet or packed and are frequently completely abandoned as useless.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved track sander whereby the disadvantages of previous known devices are substantially overcome` Another object is to provide an impro-ved track sander having improved feeding means. A further object is to provide an improved sand feeder of the oscillatory type. Yet another object is to provide an improved, oscillatory type sand feeder having a sliding 'shoe yieldingly held in contact with the bottom wall of the sand container for controlling the :dow of sand through a bottom discharge opening. Other objects and advantages of the invention will, however, hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawing there is shown for purposes of illustration one form which the invention may assume in practice.

In this drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a railway vehicle equipped with a track sander constructed in accordance with an illustrative form of the invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the vehicle and track sander shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged View in longitudinal vertical section with parts shown in side elevation taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

In this illustrative construction, there is shown a railway vehicle, generally designated I, equipped with the improved track sander, generally designated 2. 'Ihe railway vehicle shown is herein a transport truckfor a coal mining machine, although it will be evident that the improved track sander may be associated with vehicles of various other types.

Vcoal mining machine.

The vehicle I comprises a truck frame 3 mounted on wheels 4 adapted to travel along the rails 5 of a trackway. Carried by the truck frame and overlying the track sander 2 is a frame 6 for receiving and supporting a conventional type of At one side of the truck frame is a platform I providing a station for the operator during traveling of the Vehicle along the trackway. The improved track sander 2, in this illustrative construction, comprises a pair of hopperlike containers or sand receptacles 8, 8 pref` erably of substantially rectangular shape in horizontal section and having a curved bottom wall 9. These sand containers are arranged at opposite sides of the truck frame longitudinally between the truck Wheels and are secured as by brackets Ill bolted at II to parts of the truck frame. The containers each have a detachable top cover I2 provided with a handle and which is removable to permit filling of the containers with sand.

Extending across the truck frame beneath the frame 6 is a Yhorizontal shaft I3 extending into and across the containers and suitably journaled in the container side walls. Attached to one end of this shaft is a lever I4 to which an operating rod I5 is pivotally connected at one end at I 6.

The other end of this rod is provided with a, handle I1 which may bel grasped by the operator. This handle is located near the operator's station on the platform 'I, and when not in use a portion of the rod I5 near the handle is receivable in a slot or notch I8 in a vertical plate I9 suitably secured to the truck frame. Arranged in each of the containers is an oscillatory feeder and agitating arm member 20. These members 2li have their hubs secured to the cross shaftIZ-l; and spacer sleeves 2| surrounding the shaft I3 suitably locate the arm hubs onk the shaft and locate the Ishaft transversely of the truck. The arms each have a tubular portion 22 in which a cylindrical stem 23 of a shoe 24 is slidingly received. Coiled springs 25 in the tubular portions 22 of the arms urge the shoes 24 into rm frictional contact with the bottom wall of the container, and the shoes are curved at 26 to conform to the curved surface of the bottom container wall. Each of the containers has a bottom discharge opening 21 and flow of sand through these openings i's controlled by the shoes 24 as the latter move over the openings. Flexible conduits such as sections of exible hose 28 direct the discharging sand toward the treads of the track rails. The lower ends of the hoses 28 may be shaped to appropriately distribute the sand over the rail treads. Each of the shoe stems 23 has secured thereto a pin 29 which is received in a vertical slot 30 in the arm to prevent turning of the shoes relative to the members 2i). A spring 3i is attached to the lever I4 for urging the latter against a stop 32, and, when the lever is against this stop, the shoes 24 overlie and cover the discharge openings 21. If desired the stop 32 may be positioned sothat the shoes may move across the discharge openings.- Y -v The mode of use of the improved track sander is at follows. filled with sand and the vehicle is traveling along the trackway, the operator from his station on the platform 'l may grasp the handle ll and lift the rod I5 to release its engagement with the slot I8. The operating rod l5 may then be moved back and forth to effect oscillation of the feeding and agitating members 20 in the containers. The feeders are moved in onel direction against the action of the coiled spring 3l, and the latter aids in feeder movement in the opposite direction. As the shoes 24 are moved back and forth over the discharge openingsl 21, the latter are intermittently uncovered and the sand may flow from the containers through the discharge openings 2 and hose sections 28 onto the tread surfaces of the track rails so that possibility of slippage of the traction wheels is substantially reduced. The oscillatory motion of the feeder members 20 effects agitation of the sand in the containers so that.the sand may freely flow through the discharge openings even when the sand is wet or packed. Also, the movement of the shoes back and forth over the discharge openings effectively aids in the feeding of the sand.

As a result of this invention, an improved track sander is provided whereby clogging of the sand, even when wet, in the sand containers is substantially avoided. It will further be evident that by the provision of the oscillatory feeder members and the Ysliding shoes held in rm frictional contact with the bottom container walls, the sand is effectively fed from the containers onto the treads ofy the track rails. By the provision of the yielding mounting for the sliding shoes, the latter are at all times closely held in frictional contact with the bottom container walls so that when the shoes cover the container discharge openings, undesired iiow of sand from the containers is precluded.` Other uses and advantages of the invention will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art. It will of course be understood that while I have shown two sand boxes and feeders, my invention is not limited to the use of a plurality of such devices, or to any number of them greater than one.`

While there is in this application specifically described one form which the invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form of the same isshown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modified and embodied in Various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: v

l. In a track sander for wheeled vehicles, the combination comprising a sand container having a bottom discharge opening, and an oscillatory feeder in said container for controlling the flow of sand from said container through said dis, charge opening, said feeder comprising an oscillatort7 arm, and a sliding shoe operatively conf nected toy said arm and contacting the4 bottom When the containers are properly' container wall, said shoe upon oscillatory motion of said arm moving back and forth over said discharge opening, and yielding means on said arm and acting on said shoe for yieldingly urging said shoe into tight frictional contact with the bottom wall of said container.

2. In a track sander for wheeled vehicles, the combinationcomprising a sand container hav- `ing a bottom wall provided with discharge means,

a feed control member contacting the bottom container wall for controlling flow of sand from said container through said discharge means, said container and feed control member being mounted for relative movement and eiecting opening and closing of said discharge means upon such relative movement, and means for yieldingly maintaining tightI frictional contact between said feed control member and the bottom wall of said container including means for causing the exertion by said feed control member of a yielding pressure on said lbottom wall.

3. In a track sander for wheeled vehicles, the combination comprising a sand container having a bottom wall provided with a discharge opening, and feed control means in said container for controlling the ow of sand from said container through said discharge opening, said container and said feed control means being mounted for relative movement in opposite directions and effecting opening and closing of said discharge opening upon such relative movement, and said feed control means comprising a support, a shoe slidingly contacting the bottom container wall for controlling said discharge opening, and yielding means on said support for yieldingly urging saidY shoe into tight frictional contact with the bottom wall of said container.

4. In a track sander for wheeled vehicles, the combination comprising a sand container having a bottom wall provided with a discharge opening, and feed control means in said container for controlling the flow of sand from said container through said discharge opening, said container and said feed control means being mounted for relative oscillatory movement and effecting opening and closing of said discharge opening upon such relative movement, and said feed control means comprising a support, a shoe operatively connected to said support and slidingly. contacting the bottom container wall for controlling said discharge opening, and yielding means for yieldingly maintaining tight frictional contact between said shoe and the bottom wall of said container including means for causing the exertion by said shoe of a yielding pressure on said bottom wall.

5. In a track sander for wheeled vehicles, the combination comprising a sand container having a curved bottom wall perforated by a discharge opening, and an oscillatory feeder in said container f or controlling the flow of sand from said containery through said discharge opening, said feeder comprising an oscillatory arm, a sliding shoe operativelyconnected to said arm and having a curved shoe portion contacting the curved bottom container wall, said shoe upon oscillatory motion of 4said arm moving back and forth over said discharge opening, and yielding means on said arm and acting on said shoe for yieldingly urging said shoe into tight frictional contact With the curved bottom wall of said container.

6. In a track sander for wheeled` vehicles, the combination comprising a sand container memberhaving a bottom wall provided with dis, charge means, a feed control member contacting the bottom wall of said container member for controlling flow of sand through said discharge means, said container member and said feed control member being mounted for relative movement and eecting opening and closing of said discharge means upon such relative movement, and means for yieldingly maintaining tight fric- 6 tional contact between sad feed control member and the bottom wall of said container member including means for yieldingly urging one of said members towards the other in a direction nor- 5 ma] to the bottom Wall.

LEON E. SIMMONS.` 

